Drill/injector combination for plug fertilization at lift

Abstract

A drill/injector combination is provided to inject plants that are grown in containers such as blocks at lift with plant growth modulators. The drill/injector combination is comprised of a seedlings holder, a block restraint, a cavity tool apparatus, a metering apparatus, an injection apparatus and optionally, a bore closing apparatus. The combination may be manually operated or may be automated.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A drill/injector combination for use with a suitable selected charge propulsion means, for injecting a predetermined discrete charge of plant growth modulator into a plug, comprising: 
       a cavity drilling tool for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive, having a rotatable drill bit for drilling a bore in the plug, and having means operable to advance the tool when rotating into the plug by a predetermined distance thereby to create the bore and operable to retract the tool from the plug following the creation of the bore;  
       an injector for coupling to the charge propulsion means and operable to inject the charge into the bore; and  
       metering apparatus coupled to the injector for dispensing to the injector a metered amount of plant growth modulator constituting at least a portion of said charge.  
     
     
       2. The drill/injector combination of  claim 1  further comprising an alignment means for successively aligning the plug with the cavity drilling tool and with the injector. 
     
     
       3. The combination of  claim 2 , including means controlling the operation of the cavity drilling tool and the injector and the alignment means, for cycling the drilling and injection operations so that a series of plugs may be drilled and injected in sequence. 
     
     
       4. The drill/injector combination of  claim 2 , wherein the drill bit has a wide body, a narrow distal tip and a shoulder between the body and the tip. 
     
     
       5. The drill/injector combination of  claim 4  wherein the drill bit is symmetrical about its axis of rotation. 
     
     
       6. The drill/injector combination of  claim 5  wherein the drill bit is made of material selected to promote flexing and bending of the drill bit during use. 
     
     
       7. The drill/injector combination of  claim 2  further comprising a bore closing tool for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive, comprising; 
       a rotatable bore closer for closing a bore in the plug;  
       means recurrently operable to advance the rotating bore closer by a predetermined distance thereby to close the bore and recurrently operable to retract the bore closer from last mentioned plug following closing of the bore;  
       and means to couple the bore closing tool to the alignment means.  
     
     
       8. The drill/injector combination as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the propellant is fluid. 
     
     
       9. A drill/injector combination for cyclable use with a suitable selected charge propulsion means, for cyclable operation to inject a predetermined discrete charge of 
       plant growth modulator into each plug in a succession of plugs arranged in sets of plugs, each said set being arranged as a predetermined array of plugs, comprising:  
       cavity drilling apparatus comprising an array of cavity drilling tools mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the drilling tools with the plugs; each said drilling tool having a rotatable drill bit for drilling a bore in the plug and being mounted in the cavity drilling apparatus for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive for simultaneously rotating the rotatable drill bits;  
       means recurrently operable to advance the rotating drill bits together into successive sets of said plugs by a predetermined distance thereby to create the bores and recurrently operable to retract the drill bits together from said last-mentioned plugs following the creation of the bores;  
       injection apparatus comprising an array of injectors for coupling to the charge propulsion means and recurrently operable to inject the charges into the bores of successive sets of said plugs; said array of injectors mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the injectors with the plugs;  
       metering apparatus for recurrently dispensing to each of the injectors a metered amount of plant growth modulator; and p 1  alignment means for recurrently aligning successive sets of the plugs with the drill bits and with the injectors.  
     
     
       10. The combination of  claim 9 , wherein the array of plugs is a linear array of equally spaced plugs, the injectors and drilling tools are mounted in mating linear arrays, and the alignment means is operable to move the array of plugs consecutively into alignment first with the drilling tools and then with the injectors. 
     
     
       11. The combination of  claim 10 , wherein the injectors and drilling tools are mounted in parallel linear arrays. 
     
     
       12. The combination of  claim 10 , wherein each said injector comprises 
       a proximal charge collection chamber coupled to the metering apparatus for receiving the charge from the metering apparatus;  
       a propellant port in proximal communication with the collection chamber for applying propellant to the charge in the collection chamber in response to operation of the charge propulsion means thereby to propel the charge out of the collection chamber; and  
       a nozzle in distal communication with the collection chamber and whose distal tip is in operation aligned with a mating one of said bores, for delivery of the propelled charge into the last-mentioned bore.  
     
     
       13. The drill/injector combination of  claim 9  further comprising a restraint means for receiving and releasably restraining a block of plugs and a means for releasably coupling said restraint means to the alignment means. 
     
     
       14. The drill/injector combination of  claim 13  further comprising a seedling holder for supporting a set of plants contained in an array of plugs, said seedling holder having a series of guides spaced to receive and support the set of plants and means to releasably couple the seedling holder to the restraint means. 
     
     
       15. The drill/injector combination of  claim 14 , wherein the seedling holder further comprises a series of dividers, said dividers being connectible to a suitable actuator and spaced to receive a set of plants in an OPEN position and to hold the set of plants in the CLOSED position, said actuator having means to recurrently urge the dividers between the OPEN and CLOSED positions. 
     
     
       16. The drill/injector combination of  claim 15  wherein the dividers are comprised of a pliable material for holding the plants. 
     
     
       17. The drill/injector combination of  claim 9  further comprising a bore closing tool for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive, having a rotatable bore closer for closing a bore in the plug, and means recurrently operable to advance the rotating bore closer by a predetermined distance thereby to close the bore and recurrently operable to retract the bore closer from last mentioned plug following closing of the bore. 
     
     
       18. The drill/injector combination as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the propellant is air. 
     
     
       19. The drill/injector combination of  claim 18  wherein the collection chamber is dimensioned and configured, and the propellant pressure and delivery pulse are selected so that the pulse air-entrains the charge. 
     
     
       20. The drill/injector combination as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising means for recurrently pneumatically actuating the injection apparatus. 
     
     
       21. The drill/injector combination as claimed in  claim 19  comprising means for recurrently hydraulically actuating the injection apparatus. 
     
     
       22. A drill/injector combination for cyclable use to inject a predetermined discrete charge of plant growth modulator into each plug in a succession of plugs arranged in sets of plugs, each said set being arranged as a predetermined array of plugs, comprising: 
       cavity drilling apparatus comprising an array of cavity drilling tools mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the drilling tools with the plugs; each said drilling tool having a rotatable drill bit for drilling a bore in the plug and being mounted in the cavity drilling apparatus for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive for simultaneously rotating the rotatable drill bits;  
       means recurrently operable to advance the rotating drill bits together into successive sets of said plugs by a predetermined distance thereby to create the bores and recurrently operable to retract the drill bits together from said last-mentioned plugs following the creation of the bores;  
       injection apparatus comprising an array of injectors coupled to a charge propulsion means for recurrent injection of the charges into the bore;  
       said propulsion means having an ON position and an OFF position such that in the ON position the propellant is delivered from a source of propellant to the injector thereby to propel the charge into the aligned bore, and in the OFF position, the propellant is impeded from delivery from the source to the injector;  
       said array of injectors mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the injectors with the plugs;  
       metering apparatus for recurrently dispensing to each of the injectors a metered amount of plant growth modulator; and  
       alignment means for recurrently aligning the plugs with the drill bits and with the injectors.  
     
     
       23. The drill/injector combination of  claim 22 , wherein the drill bit has a wide body, a narrow distal tip and a shoulder between the body and the tip. 
     
     
       24. The drill/injector combination of  claim 23  wherein the drill bit is symmetrical about its axis of rotation. 
     
     
       25. The drill/injector combination of  claim 24  wherein the drill bit comprises a material selected to promote flexing and bending of the drill bit during use. 
     
     
       26. The drill/injector combination of  claim 22 , further comprising a restraint means recurrently operable to receive and releasably restrain a block of plugs and a means for releasably coupling said restraint means to the alignment means. 
     
     
       27. The drill/injector combination of  claim 26 , wherein the means for releasably coupling the restraint means to the alignment means operates in synchrony with the cyclic drilling and injection steps. 
     
     
       28. The drill/injector combination of  claim 26  further comprising a seedling holder for supporting a set of plants contained in an array of plugs, said seedling holder having a series of guides spaced to receive and support the set of plants and means to recurrently couple the seedling holder to the restraint means. 
     
     
       29. The drill/injector combination of  claim 28 , wherein the seedling holder further comprises a series of dividers, said dividers being connectible to a suitable actuator and spaced to receive a set of plants in an OPEN position and to hold the set of plants in the CLOSED position, said actuator to recurrently urge the dividers between the OPEN and CLOSED positions. 
     
     
       30. The drill/injector combination of  claim 29  wherein the dividers are comprised of a pliable material for holding the plants. 
     
     
       31. The drill/injector combination of  claim 29 , wherein the actuator operates in synchrony with the cyclic drilling and injection steps to recurrently urge the dividers between the OPEN and CLOSED position. 
     
     
       32. The drill/injector combination of  claim 22  further comprising a bore closing apparatus comprising an array of bore closing tools mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the bore closing tools with the plugs; each said bore closing tool having a rotatable bore closer for closing a bore in the plug and being mounted in the bore closing apparatus for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive for simultaneously rotating the rotatable bore closers; and means recurrently operable to advance the rotating bore closers together in successive sets of said plugs by a predetermined distance thereby to close the bores and recurrently operable to retract the bore closers together from last mentioned plugs following closing of the bores. 
     
     
       33. A drill/injector combination for cyclable use to inject a predetermined discrete charge of plant growth modulator into each plug in a succession of plugs arranged in sets of plugs, each said set being arranged as a predetermined array of plugs, comprising: 
       cavity drilling apparatus comprising an array of cavity drilling tools mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the drilling tools with the plugs; each said drilling tool having a rotatable drill bit for drilling a bore in the plug and being mounted in the cavity drilling apparatus for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive for simultaneously rotating the rotatable drill bits;  
       a charge propulsion means for propelling the charges into the bores;  
       injection apparatus comprising an array of injectors coupled to the charge propulsion means;  
       said propulsion means having an ON position and an OFF position such that in the ON position the propellant is delivered from a source of propellant to the injector thereby to propel the charge into the aligned bore, and in the OFF position, the propellant is impeded from delivery from the source to the injector, said array of injectors mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the injectors with the plugs;  
       metering apparatus coupled to the injection apparatus, for one-to-one alignment with the injectors, comprised of a metering roller, a perforation cover and a coupling means, said metering roller being rotatably attached to the perforation cover and being connectible to a suitable drive, said metering roller having peripherally located pockets of a defined volume to collect the plant growth modulator in a first position, dispense the predetermined amount of plant growth modulator into the collection chamber and recharge when returned to the first position;  
       a restraint means for receiving and releasably restraining a block of plugs and a means for releasably coupling said restraint means to an alignment means;  
       a seedling holder for supporting a set plants contained in an array of plugs, said seedling holder having a series of guides spaced to receive the set of plants and means to releasably couple the seedling holder to the restraint means;  
       a bore closing apparatus comprising an array of bore closing tools mating with the array of plugs for one-to-one alignment of the bore closing tools with the plugs; each said bore closing tool having a rotatable bore closer for closing a bore in the plug and being mounted in the bore closing apparatus for rotary coupling to a suitable selected drive for simultaneously rotating the rotatable bore closers;  
       alignment means for successively aligning the plugs with the drill bits, the injectors and the bore closers; and  
       repositioning means, operable to move the array of plugs consecutively into alignment first with the drill bits, then with the injectors and then with the bore closers, such that an array of plugs is being drilled, while the adjacent drilled array of plugs is being injected and the injected array of plugs is being closed.  
     
     
       34. The drill/injector combination of  claim 33 , further comprising control means connected to and operable to recurrently actuate the charge propulsion means and the metering apparatus in synchronism; whereby after each delivery of propellant by the propulsion means to the injectors, a remetered charge is dispensed from the metering apparatus to each of the injectors.